Australian Bush Poetry Champions Roll of Honour
Year | Male | Female | Written | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995* | Gary Fogarty¹ | Glenny Palmer² | Winton Qld. | |
1997 | Mark Kleinschmidt | Helen Avery | Winton Qld. | |
1998 | Milton Taylor | Zita Horton | Winton Qld. | |
1999 | Guy McLean | Janine Haig | Neil Hulm, Jennifer Haig | Mulwala NSW |
2000 | Guy McLean | Janine Haig | Grahame Watt, Chris Webster | Mulwala NSW |
2001 | Milton Taylor | Carmel Dunn | Winton Qld. | |
2002 | Milton Taylor | Maxine Ireland | Ken Dean, Hope Galvin | Mulwala NSW |
2003 | Noel Stallard | Kerry Lee | Merv Webster | Mulwala NSW |
2004 | Milton Taylor | Melanie Hall | Keith Lethbridge | Perth Western Australia |
2005 | Ron Liekefett | Melanie Hall | Charters Towers Qld. | |
2006 | Milton Taylor | Melanie Hall | Max Merckenschlager | Charters Towers Qld. |
2007 | Terry Regan | Carol Heuchan | Max Merckenschlager | Dunedoo NSW |
2008 | Gregory North | Carol Heuchan | Graham Fredriksen | Lawnton/North Pine Qld. |
2009 | Gregory North | Susan Carcary | Max Merckenschlager | Lawnton/North Pine Qld. |
2010 | Gregory North | Jan Facey | Kym Eitel | Bundaberg Qld. |
2011 | (No performance competition) | Kym Eitel | Morisset NSW | |
2012 | Peter Mace | Robyn Sykes | Brenda Joy | Corryong Vic. |
2015 | Roderick Williams | Rhonda Tallnash | Tom McIlveen | Corryong Vic. |
2017 | Keith Lethbridge | Sue Pearce | Will Moody | Toodyay WA |
*The inaugural bush
poetry championships were run in a rather unique manner.
The four competition categories were: Open Humorous, Open
Serious, Open A B Paterson, Open Women’s.
¹ Gary Fogarty was awarded Australian Bush Poetry Champion
(competing against both men and women)
as well as Australian A B Paterson Champion.
² Glenny Palmer was awarded Australian Women’s Bush Poetry Champion.
ABPA Executive Roll of Honour
Year | President | Vice-President | Secretary | Treasurer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Merv (Bluey) Bostock (acting) | Ron Selby (acting) | Ron Selby (acting) | |
1995 | Merv Bostock | Bob Miller, Frank Daniel | Ron Selby | Ron Selby |
1996 | Frank Daniel | Merv Bostock, Bob Miller | Ron Selby | Ron Selby |
1997 | Frank Daniel | Bob Miller, Merv Bostock |
Olive Shooter | Olive Shooter |
1998 | Ron Selby | Elizabeth Ward, Bob Miller |
Olive Shooter | Olive Shooter |
1999 | Ron Selby | Bob Miller, Elizabeth Ward |
Olive Shooter | Olive Shooter |
2000 | Ron Selby | Elizabeth Ward, Wally Finch |
Olive Shooter | Olive Shooter |
2001 | Wally Finch | Ron Selby, Elizabeth Ward |
Ron Selby (acting) | Rosemary Baguley |
2002 | Frank Daniel | Elizabeth Ward, Carol Reffold |
Edward Parmenter | Rosemary Baguley |
2003 | Frank Daniel | Milton Taylor | Edward Parmenter | Marion Fitzgerald |
2004 | Frank Daniel | Milton Taylor | Edward Parmenter | Marie Smith |
2005 | Frank Daniel | Milton Taylor | Edward Parmenter | Marie Smith |
2006 | Noel Stallard | Frank Daniel | Edward Parmenter | Marie Smith |
2007 | Noel Stallard | Frank Daniel | Edward Parmenter | Margaret Parmenter |
2008 | Noel Stallard | Frank Daniel | Edward Parmenter | Margaret Parmenter |
2009 | Noel Stallard | Frank Daniel | Edward Parmenter | Margaret Parmenter |
2010 | Manfred Vijars | Frank Daniel | Greg North | Kym Eitel |
2011 | Manfred Vijars | Frank Daniel | Greg North | Kym Eitel |
2012 | Manfred Vijars | Frank Daniel | Tom McIlveen | Kym Eitel |
2013 | Manfred Vijars | (vacant) | Tom McIlveen | Kym Eitel/ Greg North |
2014 | Hal Pritchard | Graeme Johnson | Brenda Joy Pritchard | Greg North |
2015 | Hal Pritchard | Manfred Vijars | Brenda Joy Pritchard | Greg North |
2016 | Tom McIlveen | Hal Pritchard | Rhonda Tallnash | Shelley Hansen |
2017 | Tom McIlveen | Ray Essery | Rhonda Tallnash | Carol Hutcheson |
2018 | Gary Fogarty | Ray Essery | Meg Gordon | Janine Keating |
2019 | Tim Sheed | Ray Essery | Meg Gordon | Janine Keating |
2020 | Tim Sheed | Ray Essery | Meg Gordon | Christine Middleton |
2021 | Tim Sheed | Ray Essery | Meg Gordon | Christine Middleton |
Other Executive Members:
Year | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Committee: | Geoffrey Graham | Max Jarrott | |
1995 | Publicity: | Robert Raftery (Qld.) Bob Magor (SA) |
Frank Daniel (NSW) | Geoffrey Graham (Vic.) |
1996 | Publicity: | Robert Raftery (Qld.) Bob Magor (SA) |
Frank Daniel (NSW) | Geoffrey Graham (Vic.) |
2002 | Management committee: | Bob Miller Ron Brown Carol Reffold |
Marco Gliori Olive Shooter Andy Schnalle |
Neil Hulm Elizabeth Ward Ron Selby |
2003 | Committee: | Sam Smyth | Dennis Carstairs | Ray Essery |
2004 | Committee: | Ron Liekefett | Dennis Carstairs | Margaret Parmenter |
2005 | Committee: | Ron Liekefett | Dennis Carstairs | Margaret Parmenter (assistant to Secretary) |
2006 | Committee: | Ron Liekefett | Dennis Carstairs | Margaret Parmenter (and assistant to Secretary) |
2007 | Committee: | Cay Fletcher | Melanie Hall | Peter Mace |
2008 | Committee: | Cay Fletcher | Melanie Hall | Peter Mace |
2009 | Committee: | Cay Fletcher | Greg North | Peter Mace |
2010 | Committee: | Cay Ellem | John Peel | Peter Mace |
2011 | Committee: | Cay Ellem | John Peel | Peter Mace | 2012 | Committee: | Cay Ellem | John Peel | Murray Hartin |
2013 | Committee: | Brenda Joy | John Peel | Murray Hartin |
2014 | Committee: | Robyn Sykes | John Peel | Carol Reffold |
2015 | Committee: | Robyn Sykes | John Peel | Carol Reffold |
2016 | Committee: | Robyn Sykes | John Peel | Carol Reffold |
2017 | Committee: | Meg Gordon | Max Pringle | Carol Reffold |
2018 | Committee: | Tom McIlveen | Bill Gordon | Max Pringle Bob Kettle |
2019 | Committee: | Bob Kettle | Neil McArthur | Manfred Vijars |
2020 | Committee: | Tom McILveen | Manfred Vijars | |
2021 | Committee: | Tom McILveen | Manfred Vijars |
On This Site
Membership Information
Forms and direct deposit information.
Forum
Take part in our online forum.
Multimedia
See and hear some of our modern Bush Poets.
Yarn Spinning
Poets often tell yarns too.
Read some great Aussie yarns.
Regular Events
You’ll find regular poetry gatherings around the country.
Featured Poets
Meet a poet or two.
Member Achievements
Read about what some of our members have achieved.
Roll of Honour
Australian Bush Poetry Champions and ABPA executive members.
Vale
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of ABPA members.

John Best
Our Best poet is gone.
Long John Best finally succumbed to his long-suffered respiratory condition on Sunday morning 29th May 2022. He was
84 years old.
John was a highly awarded performance poet and writer having
performed all around Australia and even represented Australia
at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko Nevada, USA. His dry
wit and humour made him a popular performer and his towering
physique made him easily recognisable in any crowd.
A stalwart of the North Pine Bush Poets, John contributed to
many festivals, events and fund-raisers. As an ex-serviceman,
he gave freely of his talents at many Anzac Day and military
commemorations. He was also very encouraging of new poets and
performers, assisting in whatever way he could.
With his humour and readily expressed opinions he was an easy
conversationalist and a great bloke to be around. He’ll be
sorely missed.

Terry Regan
2007 Australian Male Champion bush poet Terry Regan passed
away on 23rd February 2021. One of Nature’s gentlemen, Terry had
a rich deep voice and was an outstanding performer. He and his
wife Dulcie (deceased) travelled widely through Australia,
attending poetry events and spreading the joy of bush poetry.
Terry will be sadly missed.

Hal Pritchard
ABPA past-president Hal Pritchard died on 18th January 2021 at
age 79. For over a decade and a half, Hal brought his diverse
background experiences and managerial skills into the poetic
arena and his consequent contributions to the ABPA were
significant.
As well as travelling Australia for nine years as an
administrator, a performance judge and workshop co-presenter,
Hal served as ABPA President in 2014 and 2015 and as
Vice-President in 2016.
Hal is mourned by his poet wife of 54 years, Brenda Joy (who he
supported in every capacity) by all the members of both sides of
their loving family, and by friends and associates world-wide.

Lynden Baxter
Respected ABPA bush poet Lynden Baxter from Monto Queensland
passed away in Bundaberg on 23rd June 2017.
Lynden was the 2016 Clancy’s Choice overall male winner at the
Man From Snowy River Festival in Corryong Victoria on his first
visit to that festival. He was also 2015 Queensland Male Bush
Poetry Performance Champion at the Bundy Muster, and is in fact
still the holder of that title. He and his faithful dog Dusty
were well known to many.
North Pine Bush Poets member John Best wrote, "Lynden was a
great bloke, wonderful writer and performer and will be sadly
missed by all who were lucky enough to meet him."
He will be sorely missed and our sympathy is with his family.
A graveside service was held on Saturday 1st July at the Monto
Cemetery.

John Major
It is with great sadness that we report the sudden and
unexpected death of one of our long-time stalwarts, John Major
on 12 January 2017. John shared his love for bush poetry with
adults and children throughout Australia for many years. The
Aussie Bush Poetry community is poorer for his loss and our
sincere sympathy goes to his family at this sad time.

Milton Taylor
15.06.43 – 16.05.15
Without doubt, the greatest poet of modern times in this
country. He wrote and performed ‘people’s poetry’ – from witty
gems to literary masterpieces, some utterly hilarious and others
incredibly moving.
His works are recited and loved by people of all ages and all
walks of life throughout Australia and in the United States,
where performance tours took him for ten years.
He was immensely humble, sharing his talent to inspire many
other poets and bringing the sheer joy of poetry to children.
Milton remained a man of principle, wit, honour and courage to
the very end.
Many of his award-winning poems appear on the poetry page of
this site. You’ll see above that Milton was five-times
Australian Champion — more than anyone else.
Cliff Hathway
Cliff Hathway was a true gentleman who helped start the
Tamworth Poetry Reading Group along with Maureen Quickenden back
in the early 1980s. He passed away on 13 February 2015.
Cliff, along with his family, worked in the poultry industry
around the Tamworth area and knew all of the local bush poets
over a thirty year span.
Cliff would recite poems at the monthly poets gathering at
Tamworth and attend reunions to celebrate the love of Australian
Bush Poetry.
from Duncan Williams
“We held Cliff’s funeral here at Strath Holm, his family’s home for 3 generations. It was a beautiful setting and everyone said it was the loveliest funeral they had ever been to. He would have been pleased. A fair bit of poetry too.”
from Jan Morris

Harold Cunningham
16/02/1935 – 18/08/2014
From his first encounter with bush poetry in Tamworth in the
early 1990s, bush born and bred Harold and his wife Margaret
were (Margaret still is) very staunch supporters and members of
the ABPA. They travelled many thousands of kilometres to as
many bush poetry competitions as possible. Ably assisted by
Harold, Margaret (with permission) could always be seen in the
front row videoing as many artists as she was permitted to
film. Also, she was always the first to the product table to
purchase cassettes, CDs, videos or DVDs to add to their vast
poetry collection.
Margaret is determined to continue to support our genre but
Harold is sadly missed.
Belatedly, bush poetry says goodbye and thank you to “every
poet’s greatest fan”.